The scandal in the Veterans Administration caused me to ask
a bigger question. As a liberal, I find that I am against the Veteran
Administration Hospital program for one reason; it is ONLY for all veterans. Because
of the all-inclusive nature of the program, some consider health care for veterans
to be a liberal program but they are wrong because it is not. It is just the
opposite; the weak and infirm cannot serve in the military because their
physical condition excludes them from serving; therefore, the people in society
who need health care the most are excluded from the VA health care system. Thus,
VA health care is certainly a form of socialized medicine but it is a grossly
unfair system. It is the Ayn Rand system; the ones who have get more. The government has singled out a segment of society for special
treatment. For the people to considered socialized programs of any kind, above
all else the program must treat everyone equally.
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There is no argument that people who suffered because they
served their country deserve every consideration. If they sustained life long injuries
while in uniform such as from brain trauma, Agent Orange, radiation injury, or
asbestos they deserve life long care—no question about it. There always will be
arguments about what caused someone’s cancer, for example, but individual cases
could be resolvable in a way I would expect that favored veteran. Nevertheless,
when I look at my own case, I see a problem. I am a naval “combat” veteran
along with 317 other sailors on the same ship. We were the target of North
Korea guns that actually shot at us but failing to hit us; the point is that we
were in a war zone along with dozens and perhaps hundreds of other ships; therefore,
I assume all veterans on those ships were eligible for admission to veteran’s
health care—why? Does everyone of the thousands of us all deserve life long
health care because we were on a ship in a war zone? Worse yet, do those deserve
health care because they were in uniform but not in a war zone. Should we all be so
grateful to a Republican or Democrat politician for “taking care of us veterans" that we will vote for them for that reason? Of course, there were severely injured
service men and women that deserve lifelong health care but, by far, most of us
do not.
I am sick of hearing some politician tell me our veterans
need the best of everything because we “bravely served our country”. I had the
best experience in my life for four years, had the privilege of serving my county,
and was proud to do so. I should add, I do not feel any ill will toward those who
take advantage of the Veteran Administration Health Care system even though
they do not really deserve it. It is just that I feel I have already received
more from the government than I deserved in compensation. The Navy trained me in
electronics and I went to college on the GI bill after serving something I
could not have done without that help. The GI bill, like the VA program, is a social
program that allows young people to go to college or advanced training that
leads to productive lives. I avoid going to the VA for healthcare because I do
not have to. As a liberal, I believe that as citizens of the richest country in
the world, everyone, veteran or not, should have health care if they need it just
as everyone should have free K-PhD education—if they have the desire and
ability—that in my mind is only fair! It is simply unfair to pay all that tax
money for political expediency.
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